Official: Baghdad is responsible for what happened in Al-Sulaymaniyah

Shafaq News / the federal government hold responsibility for what happened in Al-Sulaymaniyah governorate, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bashir Al-Haddad said on Tuesday.

Al-Haddad stressed in a statement that "the political problems and the significant differences remain in talks between Baghdad and Erbil led to protest against the living conditions in Kurdistan."

"The regional government has always expressed that it is ready to keep on negotiating with the federal government to fulfill its obligations and solve the outstanding problems between the two sides."

Al-Haddad continued, " peaceful demonstrations is a legitimate right protected by the constitution, whether in Al-Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, Nasiriya, Basra, Baghdad and anywhere” clarifying “Al-Sulaymaniyah’ [protests and consequences  are related to the failure of the federal government to secure the financial dues of the region."

"The only solution is to sit at the negotiating table to forge an end to the disagreements within the framework of the constitution and in the framework of the law."

On Monday, the security services in Al-Sulaymaniyah governorate wan under a state of emergency with the escalation of violence between the protests and security forces.

Shafaq News Agency correspondent reported that security forces were deployed extensively in Al-Sulaymaniyah Center.

Demonstrators have taken to the streets in and around Al-Sulaimaniyah demanding their salaries and criticizing the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which controls the area.